1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for taking out flexible works one by one from a stack of the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been known a method of taking out flexible works one by one from a stack of the same in a container in which upper works are separated from the rest by use of an air nozzle or the like and the upper works are further separated one by one by a baffle plate.
However, in the case of a flexible work which is very thin and has a flat and smooth surface such as a magnetic disk, air between the surfaces of the works is squeezed out under the weight of the stacked works themselves and the works adhere to each other, thereby making it difficult to surely separate the works one by one especially when the works are to be taken out at high speed. Further, in the case of magnetic disks, when the recording region is touched, the recording region can be scratched or contaminated and accordingly, the portions which may touched are limited, thereby making the difficulty more significant.
In the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61(1986)-230662, as shown in FIG. 9, air blow means 3 are disposed on opposite sides of a stack of flexible works 1 in a container 2 and while air is blown onto the stack of flexible works 1, the uppermost work 1 is picked up by a pair of suction means 4. In this method, the suction means 4 are arranged so that the flexible work 1 is deflected into a cylindrical shape convex upward when sucked by the suction means 4. Though this approach can overcome the difficulties described above to some extent, it gives rise to another problem that since the pair of suction means 4 must be manipulated to lift the flexible work 1 deflecting it into a cylindrical shape, a complex control means for controlling the suction means is required, thereby adding to the overall size and the manufacturing cost of the apparatus and complicating
structure of the same.